YOUTH TRAINING AGES UNDER 15

Strikers – coping
with tight marking
by Dick Bate, England U15 National Head Coach and FA Staff Coach

Exceptionally talented 'strikers' are expected to score at the rate of at least one goal for
every two games played, and the likes of Batistuta, Cole and Ronaldo do just that. The
demands of the modern game require forwards to involve themselves in all phases of a
team’s attacking play, not just goal-scoring, and those responsibilities include:

Scoring goals.
'Fixing' defenders or attracting defenders at- “functioning” I refer to the individual tactical

Be 'assist' players by providing the final tention and positions to the advantage of movements and skills that enable forwards to
passes for a goal-scoring team-mate. team-mates . increase their own and others goal-scoring

Be able to 'link' the play by receiving and
Being the first defensive problem for oppo- possibilities.
holding the ball, where appropriate, before nents.
distributing it accurately to team-mates. As well as goal-scoring skills, a striker should

Move opponents from good defending posi- Knowing how to function within 30 yards of be efficient in most of the following when play-
tions to allow team-mates to benefit from the goal is a key element in any forward's play. By ing in and around the penalty box:
openings created.

Receiving and protecting the ball under
pressure from a touch-tight marker.

Turning with the ball.
Young strikers should
Escaping from tight marking.
learn early on how to
Exploiting a touch-tight marker by
work in tight spaces. the use of feints and turns on receiving
and in possession of the ball.

Running intelligently and often
quickly over short distances to receive
passes with the body between the ball
and the opponent.

Combining with other team-mates
in possession (especially fellow strikers)
of the ball to produce goal-scoring op-
portunities.

Knowing where and when to stand
still to hold a position.

The following practices may be of use in

helping players to solve the game's prob-
lems. Young forwards need frequent, repeti-
tive, “customised” and intelligently created
practice situations in which player and coach
can together work towards personal solutions
for the progress of the player.
PHOTO: FIRO

The art of “protecting” the ball can be intro-

duced by utilising the following simple prac-
tice situations .

28 SUCCESS IN SOCCER 5/99

 AGES UNDER 15 YOUTH TRAINING

PROTECTING THE BALL

SEQUENCE
1 SETUP
1. A (the forward) has possession of the ball and
has 20 seconds to retain possession against the tight
 10 yards by 10 yards marking defender B before changing places.
grid. One pair of players
A should develop the ability to distance the ball from
per grid. B by turning sideways to the defender, keeping the ball
on the outside of the foot furthest from the
B defender and manoeuvering the ball as appropriate to
10 yards

the moves made by the defending player – the skill

A known as “screening the ball”.

10 yards

RECEIVING, PROTECTING AND TURNING WITH THE BALL

2 SETUP C SEQUENCE

Forward A is marked by defender B some 15 yards
from server C.
 20 yards by 10 yards

A moves to receive a service from C before
grid with cones.
controlling, protecting the ball, turning and passing to C
behind the end line.
Should A not be able to escape from or defeat the tight
20 yards

marking of B then he may pass the ball back to C, who en-

A ters the playing area in possession and now A and C play a
2v1 situation against B to move the ball to C behind the
B end line.

10 yards

FOCUS ON:
Within this simple practice, and the service should be
varied in speed, height and direction, the coach can work
with the player on:

Losing his marker before C passes the ball, by chang-
ing direction and speed before moving to receive the pass.

Moving at an 'angle' to receive from C.

Seeing where the defender is positioned and moving
Screening the ball and using 'tricks' to escape from
as the ball is received. the tight marking in order to pass to C .

Screening the ball if necessary.
Turning on receiving the ball.

Turning against the defenders movement, i.e. if both
players are moving to the right with the defender closely
behind the attacker with one touch, quickly move the ball
and turn to the left.

5/99 SUCCESS IN SOCCER 29

 YOUTH TRAINING AGES UNDER 15

RECEIVING, PROTECTING,TURNING AND COMBINATION PLAY

SEQUENCE
3 SETUP
A1

The practice is a 2v2 game inside a 20 yards square
with the team in possession playing from end to end to
 20 yards square. their own target players. Here, A1 passes into A2 or A3
 Each team consists of who are closely marked by B2 and B3. They work individu-
four players: two inside B1 ally or in combination to create a situation where a pass
20 yards B4 can be played to A4. On achieving that, A4 will return the
and two outside the grid. A3
ball back to A3 and A2 who attempts to pass it to A1.
A2 B3
Should B's gain possession then they are tightly marked by
A's and play to pass to B1 and B4 alternatively.
B2

A4
20 yards

FOCUS ON:
Combine the play with a team-mate. All skills involved in playing in and around the penalty box
In the practice, coach and player can work together to im-
Combination Play would involve: when closely marked.
prove understanding and the ability to: – Wall-passes VARIATION:

Lose 'tight' markers. – Take-overs After a period of play (possibly two minutes only) the

Turn. – Overlaps pairs could change with the outsiders as this work is

Screen. – Diagonal runs physically, as well as mentally and tactically, demanding.

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 AGES UNDER 15 YOUTH TRAINING

ALL TIGHT-MARKING SKILLS

SEQUENCE
4 SETUP
Each sweeper has a maximum three touches in
possession play.
 In an area 50 yards
The role of the sweeper is to initiate attacks from a
long and 40 yards wide, goalkeeper’s throw out and to support and “feed“ the
four pairs of players play players ahead of him as well as a normal defending role.
a man-for-man game
The 'pairs' play strict and tight man-marking against
against each other. each other. Consequently, when the team is in posses-
Each team has a goal- sion, players must work to create space and lose mark-
keeper and free playing ers, screen the ball, turn, dribble in 1v1 situations and
sweeper. combine with other team-mates to beat opponents.

FOCUS ON:

This practice enables the player to work on all as-
pects of play when tightly marked.

Combination play would include the wall-passes,
take-overs, overlaps and any other combined move-
ments that cause defenders a problem. Running and
movement of the ball is also a feature, as is the
knowledge of when to 'hold' your opponent away
from action areas which are to your teams advantage.

5/99 SUCCESS IN SOCCER 31